Mall Vacancies Decline
While the Rents Edge Up

By

Ryan Chittum Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated July 14, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET

The U.S. retail real-estate sector rebounded smartly in the second quarter as store owners moved to fill prime space emptied by a rash of bankruptcies at the beginning of the year, according to a new survey.

Vacancies dropped in shopping malls and strip malls, while rents rose in both sectors, according to a survey of the top 59 U.S. markets by Reis Inc., a New York-based commercial real-estate research firm.